M1- Analyse the contribution of sociological perspectives to the
understanding of health and social care and society.
The functionalist approach to sociology can be best understood by likening society to
the human body. Just as the body functions by the working together of major organs
in order to stay healthy and sustain life. If a child grows up in a family that do not
provide him with the needs he has such as giving him time and attention, the child’s
family institution has now been damaged. This affects his schooling career as he is
unable to concentrate and may have behavioural issues and this may lower his
grades and limit his opportunities. This has an adverse affect on society as the child
has a bad upbringing leading to a possible direction towards delinquency. This has a
negative impact on society as the child grows up and will have no qualifications
resulting in more roles that society needs to be empty and not filled. Functionalism
links to health as the sick role is involved. The functionalist perspective emphasizes
that good health and effective medical care are essential for a society’s ability to
function. Ill health prevents people from doing their roles in society and hence they
must adopt the sick role to ensure that society runs smoothly. Having poor medical
care is a dysfunction in society as people who are ill find it more difficult to recover
and people who aren’t ill are easier to become ill hence society is disrupted.
Marxism approach to society is that society is split between two classes. The classes
are known as the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat or also known as the upper class
and the lower class. Marxism has an effect on education within the society. In
school, the middle classes use their material and their knowledge to ensure that their
children get into the best schools and the top sets. This means that the wealthier
pupils tend to get the best education due to their families having the financial power
to afford private schooling and extra tuition. This results in the children then going
onto to get middle class jobs. Meanwhile working class children are more likely to get
a poorer standard of education and end up in working class jobs. In this way class
inequality is reproduced. Marxists argue that in reality money determines how good
an education you get. In school we learn that we all have an equal chance to
succeed and that our grades depend on our effort and ability. Thus if we fail, we
believe it is our own fault. This legitimates or justifies the system because we think it
is fair when in reality it is not. People of the higher class have the financial power and
understanding of health and social care and society.
The functionalist approach to sociology can be best understood by likening society to
the human body. Just as the body functions by the working together of major organs
in order to stay healthy and sustain life. If a child grows up in a family that do not
provide him with the needs he has such as giving him time and attention, the child’s
family institution has now been damaged. This affects his schooling career as he is
unable to concentrate and may have behavioural issues and this may lower his
grades and limit his opportunities. This has an adverse affect on society as the child
has a bad upbringing leading to a possible direction towards delinquency. This has a
negative impact on society as the child grows up and will have no qualifications
resulting in more roles that society needs to be empty and not filled. Functionalism
links to health as the sick role is involved. The functionalist perspective emphasizes
that good health and effective medical care are essential for a society’s ability to
function. Ill health prevents people from doing their roles in society and hence they
must adopt the sick role to ensure that society runs smoothly. Having poor medical
care is a dysfunction in society as people who are ill find it more difficult to recover
and people who aren’t ill are easier to become ill hence society is disrupted.
Marxism approach to society is that society is split between two classes. The classes
are known as the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat or also known as the upper class
and the lower class. Marxism has an effect on education within the society. In
school, the middle classes use their material and their knowledge to ensure that their
children get into the best schools and the top sets. This means that the wealthier
pupils tend to get the best education due to their families having the financial power
to afford private schooling and extra tuition. This results in the children then going
onto to get middle class jobs. Meanwhile working class children are more likely to get
a poorer standard of education and end up in working class jobs. In this way class
inequality is reproduced. Marxists argue that in reality money determines how good
an education you get. In school we learn that we all have an equal chance to
succeed and that our grades depend on our effort and ability. Thus if we fail, we
believe it is our own fault. This legitimates or justifies the system because we think it
is fair when in reality it is not. People of the higher class have the financial power and
